Sunday Morning
by anditcametopass
Summary: The story of Eric and Teddy, from the first day they met, to when he finally saw her
1. Chapter 1

_He meets her on a Sunday morning._

According to his mother, the new neighbour's patriarch had been promoted as one of the heads of neuroscience. Meanwhile, his wife was a technology developer. It was the husband's promotion that had earned his family the move to this particular housing development. But what Eric didn't know was that they had a little girl who was his age, so when his parents dressed him up and he begrudgingly walked next door with them holding a fruit basket, he was surprised to see a small girl, clad in a blue dress with a white bow tied perfectly in her dark curls.

While their parents made idle chit chat, talking about the move, the housing complex, their work, etc, Eric managed to catch the girl sneaking off, presumably to her room. He followed her to find his assumption correct. She was in her room messing around on a tablet, though she paused when she heard him enter. Her big green eyes peered up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.

"They didn't give your name." He finally uttered.

"Tessa," she told him. Her voice was just as sweet and young as any other girl their age. "Tessa Darcy Bell." His eyes flash to the stuffed animal sitting on her bed and his mind was quick.

"Teddy." Her murmurs. The little girl furrowed her brows and tilted her head, waiting for an explanation. "Tessa Darcy. T.D. Teddy." She finds it odd that he's given her a nickname after knowing each other for five seconds.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"My name is Eric Coulter." He announced. Even for a seven-year old, he was so stoic and the girl had to bite back a smile at his demeanor, even though she couldn't think of another name to call him by. "That app hasn't been released yet."

"No." She assented. "My mother designed it." He looked at her expectantly, to which she bit back another grin, understanding his unspoken question. She scooched over on her bed to make room for him and she handed him the tablet. He nodded once in thanks and began to fiddle with the app, educating himself with the new technology, very much aware of her bright eyes studying him.


	2. Chapter 2

_The first time he saw her cry was a Thursday night._

He knew she'd be in trouble. She'd been mouthing off to one of their instructors that day, refuting everything he said about faction psychology and backing her own evidence with the concept of psychology being subjective. Her main argument was that while people's minds may have been more adept toward one faction, that did not take away one's choice to be something. And so she'd had a large debate with their instructor, which in turn, riled up the entire class and had only made Eric laugh.

But what he didn't expect was for her to miss their evening run. Ever since they'd made the conscious decision that they were better suited for Dauntless than Erudite, they'd been working together to become stronger. Their excuse toward their families for working out was that a healthy body made for a healthy mind. They'd researched their workout routine and neither was one to miss an appointment. So Eric knew something was wrong.

He found her on the roof. Both of their apartments were on the top floor and Tessa's balcony from her room had a narrow staircase that led to the top of the building, overseeing the expanse of the old fair grounds and past the fence. She was curled up on the ledge, still in her school uniform that consisted of an opaque white blouse tucked into blue skinny-leg trousers. Her curls had lost their usual bounce during the day, the ends reaching her waist. The night was chilly, so Eric wordlessly slipped his hoodie off and draped it across her shoulders. His actions startled her, but when she saw it was only her friend, she relaxed. The blond silently sat down next to her and pretended not to notice as she hastily wiped her tears away.

"What did they do?" He questioned, his tone dark. Her parents, like his, were focused solely on their work. The only time they really paid attention to their children was to ensure their work was top of the line and to see that they wouldn't bring shame to the family name. He'd been slapped around by his parents a few times, mostly when he said something that was out of line. And while he didn't want his friend hurt by anyone, he wouldn't be surprised if either of her parents had hit her this evening.

"Yelled a lot." He knew she could handle that. "Said I wasn't fit to carry the legacy of the Bell name." She rolled her red-rimmed eyes. They looked even greener than normal. "I told them that everything I told the instructor was purely educational and surely that was the Erudite way." Her laugh lacked its usual humour. "Apparently not. Dad didn't like that. Said he didn't like my attitude. Said I'm supposed to desire knowledge, not parade around like a know-it-all trying to one-up my instructors." Eric peered at her with his blue eyes, intent on getting the proper answer out of her. "So yeah, he hit me. Tossed me around." Her small shoulders shrugged in his large jacket, not noticed the way his jaw clenched at her words. "Nothing I can't handle."

"You shouldn't have to." She shrugged again.

"It's gonna be worse soon enough." She was referring to their defection to Dauntless, which would take place in two years.

"Then what's up?" He knew his friend was strong. He would have no interest in being in her company if he viewed her to be weak, mentally, physically or emotionally. It was why he couldn't control the gruff tone of his voice now. He didn't know what to do when people cried. And even now, he was slowly getting irritated with her hesitancy to tell him and her inability to control her emotions at the present moment.

"It was what they kept saying." Her voice cracked and she quickly cleared her throat and furiously wiped her eyes again. "That if I kept going the way I was, then I'd end up factionless. That I don't belong anywhere. How I have the potential to be great here in Erudite, but I'm reckless enough for Dauntless and enough of a loud-mouth for Candor." She took a shaky breath. "What if they're right, Eric? What if I don't belong anywhere? What if-what if I go to Dauntless and I'm too much of a smartass or I talk too much or-or…?" She wiped furiously at her face again. "But if I stay here or even go to Candor, then I'm just an asshole all the time and-and I won't get far through initiation if I don't work with the faction and then-then they'll kick me out and…"

"You're not going to become Factionless, Teddy." Eric stopped her. "Fuck what they say." She seemed mildly surprised by his language. "You know what you want and you know how to get it. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

"It matters what you say." Teddy told him quietly. Eric smirked.

"It's because I'm always right." That got a smile out of the girl. "And I'm right about this. You are Dauntless. Just because you're smart doesn't mean you belong here. Just because you're talk too much doesn't mean you belong in Candor. You know what it is? You're honest about what you know and you're ruthless toward anyone who defies you. I think that's pretty Dauntless. You're going to make it through this. You're better than the lot of them." In response to his words, all she does is give a wet smile and lean her head against his shoulder. And it's with years of practice with her that allows him to wrap an arm around her shoulder without feeling awkward.


	3. Chapter 3

_The first time she shocks him, it's a Monday afternoon._

Erudite liked to pride themselves being above gossip, but the reality was that they were worse than any other faction, including Candor-though they didn't really gossip so much as be honest with everyone about what they knew. Erudite had a large sense of pride and was extremely competitive with one another, so it made sense that people could make up rumors about someone they found disagreeable to their standards for society.

And there was always gossip about Eric Coulter and Tessa 'Teddy' Bell roaming around the halls of their school, especially about their unlikely friendship. But Eric was surprised to hear the gossip of his best friend today, especially because the gossip wasn't what he expected. And while he usually didn't pay it any mind, the words spoken made him seriously ponder just how honest his friend was with him.

"You gonna spit it out?" Tessa didn't look up from her tablet as she typed on one tab and read from another. They were in the library, revising for their final exams. Eric furrowed his brows at her words. "You've been staring at me for the past hour like you have shit needing to pour from your mouth." Those words alone bewildered him. Neither of them cursed much, it wasn't respectable to speak such crass language in their faction.

"I heard some talk at school today." He finally approached the topic as he turned to his own tablet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her raise a brow.

"Thought you didn't pay any heed to that."

"I don't." He acknowledged. "But the rumors were um, particularly worded."

"Oh, yeah?" Eric nodded once before there was silence. "You know, Eric, I can't exactly dispel or attest to these rumours if you won't tell me what you've heard." The young man's lips pursed as he tried to get a feel for how the conversation was going.

"People are saying you slept with Holden Maes." He finally gritted out. Tessa snorted as she quickly pulled up another tab and began typing, fingers flying across the keyboard. "What-what are you writing?"

"Did you hear that from him or…?"

"Everyone's been talking about it. I heard it in passing from Violet Reed." More typing. And then it was quiet between the pair.

"I'm conducting an experiment of sorts." Tessa finally revealed as she closed the tab and met his gaze for a brief moment. Then she returned to her work. Eric's brows furrowed at her words. "There's this book I read about the the animalistic nature of human desire and how it relates toward relationships and gender perception. I'm taking into account age, sexual preference, preference in bed and the consequences of one-night stands." For the first time in his life, Eric felt his jaw drop and his eyes widen in surprise.

"What the fuck?"

"It's really more of a social experiment than anything, really." She was now fixated on her homework. "My guess is that Holden Maes will be transferring to Candor based on his willingness to tell everyone. Although I could be wrong. He might just be excited that someone slept with him. In which case, he could transfer to Amity." Eric was silent.

"So, uh, who else is on that list?" His words caused Tessa to finally look up. Her brows were furrowed with curiosity, but she grinned as though she already knew something.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" And back to her work she went.

"Ok, wait." Eric had to know. "With what you're taking into account, it's just basic information. What's your goal?"

"To achieve simulation." The words seemed so simple, yet they seemed to leave Eric completely baffled. Maybe it was her tone.

"Uh…" He cleared his throat. "So you want an orgasm?" But it was his words that took her by surprise.

"N-no. I-I'm just curious as to how intimate relations changes depending on the person."

"So you're basically having a lot of one night stands and then writing about it." He was actually amused at this point. And the flush rising up her neck wasn't helping. "Are you taking into account how they make you feel?" Tessa's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. "No, scratch that, they're just boys, they couldn't possibly give you an orgasm, which is a shame. Maybe you need another test subject." He smirked and the blush had reached her cheeks now. She attempted to distract herself with typing, but her fingers couldn't figure out what to write. This was amusing, perhaps Eric would have to take note of his newfound findings of his best friend. But as she took a breath and looked back up, she smirked.

"Oh, I don't doubt someone will _come_ along." She winked and once again, his jaw dropped in surprise, only he found himself also grinning at her tenacious attitude.


	4. Chapter 4

_They choose Dauntless on a Saturday morning._

The results of both their aptitude tests were Dauntless. It left room for nothing else. Both left the testing center trying not to smile in front of everyone. Coming from Erudite and now defecting to Dauntless, they both had a reputation to uphold and make. But as soon as they passed underneath the train tracks, they whooped and hollered and shouted for joy. Eric lifted Tessa over his shoulder and spun around laughing. Their moment had finally arrived. Come tomorrow, they were free from the confines of Erudite and could bask in the freedom that Dauntless brought.

And the following morning, dressed in blue as an Erudite for the last time, they cut their hands and let their blood drip over the burning coals. And they ran with the other initiates onto the speeding train and over to the compound. Both teenagers were sure they'd never smiled this much, especially while running. There was something wild and liberating about the entire ordeal. Neither of them thought about the stoic demeanors their parents had given them when they saw that they'd chosen a new faction, they didn't think about the trials they'd have to face during initiation, and they didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought of them as transfers.

They were told to jump into the unknown to get into the Dauntless compound. No one knew what they'd land on, if there _was_ anything to land on. But Eric wanted to be first. He looked at his best friend with a smirk and made a point of falling backwards, to which Tessa rolled her eyes. Since her best friend had put on a show, she was determined to be next. So she fell into a giant net and had someone help her out, asking for her name. She looked over at Eric and then thought briefly to her time and family in Erudite and how that part of her life was over now.

"Teddy." She told them. Eric smirked over at her.

"Welcome to Dauntless."


	5. Chapter 5

_He absolutely loses it on a Friday afternoon._

They'd been training for weeks now. Eric and Tessa-or, Teddy now, had been helping each other with training for the entire duration. Eric had been stuck at one for the past three weeks with Teddy at two. And the only reason he was ahead of her was because he had a better handle on knives than she.

And today was the final day before the first cuts. After a week of, they would begin fear simulations. So they were told by their instructors to fight each other in the ring. Teddy and Four, the Stiff from Abnegation, were the first to go today. Teddy got along with people...for the most part. Eric didn't like people, but Teddy tried to get along with those who would be her new family. So while Eric believed that his best friend would crush the Stiff, Teddy just wanted to show how much she'd accomplished so far and that she was prepared for the life that Dauntless would bring.

But while she was determined not to underestimate Four, she still wasn't prepared for how much he'd grown in the weeks leading up to this. They seemed to be an equal match of speed and strength. He straddles her twice and she manages to twist around the first time and arches her back to get a good kick to his head, knocking him to the side so she can escape. The second time, he sees it coming, locking his elbow around and twisting her back around and putting a foot to her back.

She manages to twist his ankle and he limps around the ring for a minute as she gets back up and into a defensive position and she gets a few hits to his face and an elbow to his gut. She can see Eric's smirk and somehow, it gives her a bit more strength to carry on. So she smirks at Four and his dark brows furrow at her. They're both getting tired as the fight seems carries on, but the instructors are keen on seeing who wins this round. They allow them the pair to continue and Four sends a series of punches to Teddy's face and then a kick to the ribs, sending her flying onto her back with a grunt that leaves her winded. Four peers over her and she sends a kick to his torso which has him gasping. She stands back up but is stopped by her opponent, who wraps her in a sleeper hold. She kicks and grasps at his arms and the only thing she manages is to knock him back, but his hold on her only tightens. She's clawing at his arm, sure to leave marks and there are spots dancing in her vision until finally, her eyes close.

She wakes up in the infirmary with no memory of how she got there. It's as if time passed too quickly in the blink of an eye. Her head is aching and her torso is a raging inferno. Her face is numb and as her vision comes into focus, she realizes that Eric is standing by her side, waiting for her to come to. She peers over at him and it's like she's seeing him for the first time. She's acutely aware of his broad shoulders and bulging muscles. His feet are shoulder-length apart and his stance has the bearing of a soldier. While Eric was never scrawny, he's definitely not the lean child from Erudite anymore. No, he's ready for Dauntless, and prepared to be a leader.

And he is absolutely furious. His jaw is clenched and there's a tick going off every so often. His normally blue eyes are a steely gray as he stares at nothing in particular. His transforming jawline and muscular build make him look hard and mean, but Teddy is usually able to see the twinkle in his eyes every so often and knows that her best friend will always be a softie for her. And when he finally meets her eyes, there is a flood of relief. He's at her side, pushing her hair away from her face, cursing at Four and threatening him in such a way that Teddy knows he's serious.

"What's the damage?" She interrupts him, trying to look over at her chart to see if she can make any sense of it.

"Two broken ribs, concussion, and a shit ton of bruises." He listed off quickly, continuing his monologue of wanting to murder Four.

"No, Eric." Teddy finally stops him. "I'm fine. It was just a fight."

"He nearly killed you." He growls. "That wasn't him fighting, that was...that was something else." He huffed. "He almost killed you." He repeated. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." Teddy sighs and her friend helps her lean back before handing her a cup of water. She sips it quietly while listening to his threats. And when she finishes it, she leans back up with a grimace.

"Don't underestimate him, Eric. He's quick and he's smart."

"So am I." Teddy nods.

"I know. But you're not the only one. Don't be an idiot. You two are probably going to fight later this afternoon or maybe tomorrow. Don't be stupid." She pushes. "I didn't expect any of that from him." His jaw clenches again and he swallows hard.

"I was…" He clears his throat. "I was worried." Teddy's face softens.

"Give me the benefit of the doubt." She gives him a soft smile. "I can take a beating."

"Yes, I know." He grumbles. "But that doesn't mean you should have to."

"We're Dauntless. It's what we do." He huffs again and nods. "Now, let's go. I'm starving. I wanna eat before I watch you all fight." She downs another cup of water before they head to the cafeteria.

* * *

His fighting is reckless the next day. He's throwing strong, wild punches and he can't stop thinking about getting revenge against Four for what he did earlier to his best friend. He's angry that Four doesn't even appear guilty for what he did and that agitates him even more. And then there's the anger within himself, agitation over the hold Teddy has over him, even if she doesn't realize it. He's irritated that he's so bent over her and that makes his fighting even worse. He can feel himself getting tired with all the swinging and running after the smaller man. It seems like that's Four's plan, to tire Eric out so that he'll have the upper hand.

It works in his favor. Before long, Eric's running his hands down his bloodied face and spitting blood out of his mouth. He's getting dizzy and his ribs hurt. And soon after, Four sends a strategic kick to his knee and he doesn't mean to, but a cry erupts from his mouth. It sends him to his knees and with another few well-placed punches, he's out cold.

He wakes up to the feeling of something pulling on his skin and he slowly becomes aware that the nurse is stitching him up. He wants to roar at her, scream for her to get away. There's a sting in his chest that he angrily realizes is humiliation and he doesn't want some nurse giving him stitches after a bad fight. But just as he opens his mouth to yell at her, he feels another sensation on his right hand. His eyes move to see his best friend by his side, just as he was at hers only hours before. She looks at him the way she did when they first met nearly ten years ago. Her green eyes are bright and there's no judgement, no fear, nothing. She knows him too well at this point and can see the underlying anger waiting to explode, but for now, she will hold his hand to let him know that she isn't judging him; that she doesn't think any lowly of him for the loss of the fight, and if anything, thinks more of him for the thought that went into it. And it's that alone that allows him to relax.


	6. Chapter 6

_They get tattoos on a Saturday night._

They've been wanting to change their look for a while now. Their bodies have changed during the past three months of initiation, but Eric was still unconvinced that they truly looked the part of Dauntless. And now that they'd finally passed all the tests, they were ready for the physical transformation. He cuts his hair drastically, with shaved sides and perfectly coiffed on top. He opts for black piercings that he'll start to gauge each month. And while he's conflicted about the eyebrow piercing, Teddy convinces him it'll give him more of an edge than just the piercings in his lobes.

She doesn't cut her hair, but instead adds more color to it. Halfway down her dark curls, it starts to shift into a red, similar to a reverse ombre. He's never seen her with such an edge and he's surprised at how stunning he finds his best friend. She's more daring when it comes to piercings. She gets two more in her already pierced lobes, plus two in the cartilage of her right ear, and then her left tragus. She contemplates getting her nipples done, but Eric only steers her toward the tattoo parlor.

"Come on, Miss Dauntless." He teases. She's been itching for a tattoo for a while. Really, she's been pushing for some ink since day one, but she didn't know exactly what she wanted. But it seems that becoming a fully fledged member of Dauntless helped make up her mind. She tells the artist what she wants and she sits there quietly for an hour as the sound of the buzzing needle scratches on her skin.

Eric gets a maze-like tattoo on both his forearms. He mumbled something to Teddy about it having to do something with his fear landscape, but she doesn't push him for more information, for which he's grateful for. And when he's done, he sits up, pleased with the work of the artist and sees Teddy with strategically placed bands going down her left arm. There are eight altogether and the thickness of them differs. He doesn't understand the meaning and it seems so simple compared to her new look.

"I'm thinking of coming in next month to start getting them filled. What do you think?" The artist tells her he already has some ideas as to what to put in between the bands. They pay and leave to get ready for a party in the Pit.

"That last one isn't finished." Eric was talking about the last band on her arm, the one closest to her wrist. Instead of a simple band, this one was designed as an intricate arrow, and while Eric expected it to loop around completely, it stopped before reaching the opposite end, leaving about an inch of pale skin.

"I'm hoping to fill it someday. But I wasn't able to. Not today, at least." He raised his newly pierced brow and ignored the dull throb of the swelling. He waited for her to elaborate, but all she did was smile and tell him he looked good with his own tattoos and that they should really go and get ready for a long night of drinking and dancing with their new family.


	7. Chapter 7

_She gets drunk without him on a Wednesday night._

He's been busy for the past couple of weeks with leadership training and she's been working on the task force with the tactics division. But no matter how busy both have been, they're always prompt to have dinner with each other. However, that Wednesday evening, she's nowhere to be seen. So, after a long day of physical and mental stimulation, he wolfs down his dinner and heads to her room only to find it empty. He lets out a heavy sigh and then heads to the roof that overlooks the city and is glad to see her sitting on one of the couches that had been brought up years ago.

While people may have partied in the Pit, it was also a habit of some smaller groups in Dauntless to come to the roof for a small party or just to hang out after a long day. Both he and Teddy have both come up for such occasions, but they've also come up just the two of them or even alone. Teddy's actions in coming up were similar to when they were still in Erudite and she was feeling stressed and just needed some space. She claimed looking over the city put things into perspective for her, but Eric held onto the notion that that wasn't the entire truth, though he didn't push her.

He expected her to be extremely stressed out, perhaps crying over the pressure of her position so she could get over it and potentially relax before returning to her daily duties. But instead, she was sprawled out on the couch, legs spread and she held a glass that he knew was mixed with the liquid in the two bottles sitting next to her. When her head lolled up at him, she let out a large grin that somehow managed to put him at ease. Her eyes crinkled and there was a glow emanating from her face as she took another gulp of her drink.

"Want some?" She held up her glass. He shook his head and she drank some more. "More for me!" She giggled. There was music playing in the backround and it was with great difficulty that she attempted to stand. "Help me." She pouted. Eric tried not to smirk, but he couldn't resist as he pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" She started to bounce her head to the music, her long hair swaying with the movement.

"I'm dancing." Another gulp. "And drinking." She grinned.

"But why?" She smiles gently at him, as though speaking to a toddler.

"My dear Eric," she places both her hands on his shoulders. "Do we need an excuse to drink? Why not have a jolly time for the sake of it?" She took another gulp from her drink.

"So...you're not stressed out?" She purses her lips comically, pretending to think.

"Mm, nope! I love my job. And I'm pretty damn good at it."

"No asshole giving you trouble?" She laughs.

"Just you." He rolls his eyes. "Seriously though, the social notion that people only drink when there's a celebration or to take the edge off is just despicable." Her words were slurred and her pitch was sporadic. Eric was floored when he found it...adorable. The thought made him cringe; he hated that word. But in certain situations, it seemed to fit his best friend perfectly.

"So you decided to see how much fun you could have on your own." She smiled.

"Now you're getting it. This time, I don't feel the write to need my findings." She frowned and shook her head. "Wait, no, that's not it." Eric stopped himself from laughing. "To find my writings." Another shake of her head and Eric couldn't suppress his laughter, which only made her smile. "Write my findings!" She nodded, proud of herself, and her friend allowed himself a smile. The reference to her social experiments with sex caused him to smirk.

"So you mean to tell me that you're still on that research?" He took the liberty of stealing a drink from her glass before handing it back. He resisted the urge to grimace because _fuck_ , that shit was strong. Her bottle of rum was half empty and even though she wasn't toppling over everywhere, he knew she was completely wasted.

"Always." She smirked. "Until I find what I'm looking for."

"Until you _get_ what you're looking for?" He teased. She laughed before turning away and continued dancing to the heavy music. "So who was the last variable in your research?" He sat on the old couch and kept watch over her as she bounced around, occasionally sipping from her glass.

"You know, this is so much better than Erudite." She sighed. "No one gossips so much about stupid shit that isn't their business."

"Is this you telling me that you're not going to answer?" He chuckled.

"Well, part of me wants to tell you, just to get your reaction." His pierced brow rose dangerously. She smirked and knelt over him, green eyes dancing mischievously, not leaving his as she poured herself another drink. "I may have gotten some interesting information on Four." His reaction was immediate. His jaw clenched and his eyes flashed dangerously to hers, now a steel gray. He wasn't aware that his grip was hard around her forearm until her eyes peered down to his contact. Then she looked back up and began laughing. Her laugh was sweet, coming from the pit of her belly and pitching at the end. She continued laughing as she rested her forehead on his shoulder and then stayed there as it died down.

"I fucking hate you." Eric grumbled, which only made her laughter continue.

"You should have seen your face!"

"What? You gonna research my reactions to the fuckers you sleep with now?" She fell at his side and he lifted her legs on his lap. She lifted a brow at his words.

"Maybe I already am." She gave him a smirk. He frowned before she took another drink and giggled. "Christ, Eric, maybe you need to drink. What? Can't take a joke anymore?"

"Not about shit like that."

"You can't joke about sex?"

"I don't like Four." She snickered.

"I didn't have sex with Four. Please, you know the Stiff has to still be a virgin." She rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't be able to get accurate results. Not at this point."

"Why? He'd come too quickly? Because he won't know how to pleasure you?" His brow was cocked again. She groaned and leaned back and then took another long gulp. Her reaction made him laugh. "So this is the real reason you're drinking. You _do_ need to take the edge off, but it's not the stress of your job." He was actually cackling at this point, which made Teddy punch him in the shoulder. If her movement wasn't so sloppy, it might have hurt. "Aw, are you sexually frustrated, Teddy?"

"No!" She protested comically, taking another gulp. "I'm fucking sexually _furious_!" She punched him again and as much as this one hurt, he still laughed. Teddy sighed and took another drink. "Eric?" Her soft voice certainly got his attention. He hummed over at her. "I can't feel my face." She pouted, lightly tapping her cheeks. He snickered and pinched her pink-stained cheek, much to her chagrin. Then she sighed as she closed her eyes. "I need to keep moving." She mumbled. "Otherwise I'll pass out."

"So get moving." With a huff, she heaved herself up and began to pour herself another drink. Eric didn't move to stop her, knowing that she wasn't about to kill herself-not under his watch. She paced around a little to get her blood pumping again. Then she skipped a few songs on the radio until a louder song came on.

"Dance with me." She held out a small hand. Eric snorted.

"No way." She let out a sad harrumph and dropped to her knees in a dramatic fashion, in between Eric's legs, resting her head on his right knee, arms folded beneath her chin. Her lower lip jutted out and her eyes widened as she tilted her head.

"Please?" She whined. Eric hesitated. He'd never been in this position with his best friend; had never even thought about her this way. Sure, she was pretty, but for some reason, the way she looked at him now made him swallow hard and he felt his pants tightening, which caused him more surprise than Teddy being in that position. Her face was far too close to the area he'd been ignoring for a few weeks and with their recent conversation of sex, of course his body would react like this. Yes, of course. Plus, she was drunk. She had no idea what she was doing, all her inhibitions were lost.

"You dance around. I-I'm gonna have a drink." She smiled brightly again and stood up, still smiling as she moved her hips to the beat. Meanwhile, Eric refused to give a name to the tight feeling he got in his stomach every time she smiled.

The night ended when she settled back onto the sofa and she blearily swore she could see shooting stars, to which Eric scolded her drunken vision. He let her talk, knowing that alcohol turned her into a little chatterbox. She was never annoying, though. Eric found her honest thoughts and lack of a filter quite comforting, if not totally amusing. There was a release in open communication, especially with her. But when her voice got softer and trailed off into nothingness, it was with ease that he scooped up the small woman, grinning when she snuggled into him, and set off to her apartment to tuck her in.


	8. Chapter 8

_His promotion comes on a Friday afternoon._

He hasn't seen Teddy all week. She's been busy working with Four and the initiates, as well as coming up with new plans and training schedules for the TAC force. And he's been finishing up his leadership training. But today, the promotion finally came. He was now officially a Dauntless leader. And the first person he wanted to tell and celebrate with was his best friend. So he heads to her apartment with a couple bottles of their favourite wine and enters without knocking. It's how they've always operated. They've walked in on each other in compromising situations only a couple of times, but each occasion had been dealt with gracefully and with laughter.

So it comes almost as a shock that Teddy's apartment is completely silent. There's no sound of music, or even the sound of a member of the opposite sex, serving the purpose of Teddy's research. Instead, Eric is surprised to find her sitting at her counter on a bar stool. Her tablet is laid before her and her head in a propped up hand, eyes closed and mouth open. Eric tries not to laugh, but his friend looks so innocent and endearing that he can't help it. His voice startles her awake and he laughs once more as she takes in her surroundings and seems dazed as she rubs her eyes.

"Tired?" She finally looks over at him and he's no longer smirking as he takes in her haggard appearance. There are heavy bags under her eyes and her cheeks appear sunken in. Her skin is tinted pink, as though she's getting too much sun and not in a healthy way. Her dark hair is pulled back in a grungy plait and Eric finds that he's worried about her. He finds this strange, as he's never had to _really_ worry about his best friend before.

"Is that wine?"

"You're not having any until you've had something to eat." She smiles softly.

"Already ate. Lauren brought me a burger." She types something out on her tablet. "You know where the glasses are."

"When's the last time you slept?"

"Off and on for the past week." She admitted. "I've been busy with scheduling and planning the next few training sessions for the initiates and special force team." She rubbed her eyes and tried to hide her yawn as Eric handed her a glass of wine. "So what's the occasion?"

"Well, my training is over." He grinned as he clinked glasses with Teddy.

"Mm, come to rub it in my face that you have more free time now?" She lazily took a sip as she began finishing up the scheduling to send it for review. Eric gave her a flat look.

"That's the conclusion you come up with?" He took a sip of his own wine.

"Well, yeah." She looked utterly exhausted as she looked up at him. "You've been so busy with training and…wait." Ah, there it was. "Aw, you just wanted to spend time with me. Did you miss me? You're so cute." She snickered as she resumed her work on the tablet.

"I am not cute!" Eric protested loudly. Teddy only smiled tiredly as she worked on the training plans. "I don't have leadership training anymore." She furrowed her brows at his words.

"You keep saying this. Why?" Her mind clearly wasn't working the way it should have been.

"All right, enough with the tablet. Come on, you're going to bed."

"No! Eric, no! I have to finish this!" He had literally picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder, heading to her bedroom. She landed in her bed softly and Eric began tucking her in. "Eric, stop! I have to get the new tactical training program in by tonight."

"They can get it tomorrow." He told her. "You need to get some sleep. You look terrible." She glared up at him.

"Eric." She began fighting him to get out of bed. "I'm almost done!"

"You haven't slept properly in a week-."

"That's part of the job!" She continued to struggle, though she was no match for the rippling muscles he had acquired since joining Dauntless. "Come on, there's one last part and then I'll sleep." Eric stopped and huffed at her.

"Fine. Stay here." He went back to the kitchen to retrieve her tablet. He brought it back to her and settled down on the bed next to her, occasionally sipping his wine and watching over as she looked over different tabs, schedules and then going back to making training plans for the special forces group of Dauntless. Teddy leaned up against him and he wrapped a hulking arm against her as he messed around with some apps on his own tablet. It was nice and quiet inside the apartment save for the soft buzzing of the keypad. Until there wasn't anything. "Teddy?" He looked down at the brunette to find her fast asleep.

He took the tablet gently from her hands to read through everything. It looked almost complete, just a few last notes needed to be added. He made a face before scrawling his own electronic signature before sending it. After placing the tablet on the bedside table, he realized that he, too, was quite tired. So he settled down in the bed, careful not to jostle Teddy too much and they both slept through the night.


	9. Chapter 9

_Their first fight is on a Thursday afternoon._

Sure, they've had arguments and debates before, but nothing like this. Eric has been working with Four on the new initiates and he's positive that Four's screwing around with another Stiff. Teddy doesn't care about Four's business and can't understand why Eric's being such an asshole. He's always been a bit of a dick to people he didn't like, but he was going completely overboard, at least in Teddy's opinion. She'd just about had it when he dangled a girl from Candor over the railing just because she'd conceded during the fight.

"They're stupid initiates!" Eric roared. "They need to learn!"

"They're not going to learn if you inject them with fear!" Teddy protested.

"This is Dauntless, we don't have time to train any weak links. We have to weed them out."

"By nearly killing them? Do you even know what it means to be an instructor?"

"Don't fucking start that on me, Teddy! I outrank you!"

"Fuck off, Eric!" She shoved him back. "Don't pull that shit on me. I'm telling you straight up that you're being a fucking dick!"

"Since when do you give a shit about the initiates? Going soft?"

"Fuck you. I care about properly training the next generation in a way so they don't think that their new family is something to fear." He merely laughed at her.

"Fear me? They fucking should. One wrong move from those little shits and there will be hell to pay."

"What the fuck happened to you?" She shoved him again, only this time, he grasped on to her wrists. "What? You get a fucking promotion and you go on a power trip! The world must bow down?" She tried to pull away, but he held on tight. "You know, I've always fucking put up with your bullshit and you being an ass to everyone, but you've got way too fucking far this time, Eric." Something tightens in his chest, but he tries to ignore it.

"Oh, yeah?" He was taunting her now. "You've put up with it? You don't think I've been putting up with your shit either?" She tries again to pull away. "All your fucking nagging and whining and your big mouth getting you into trouble and you whoring yourself out? You're a fucking time bomb, Teddy! If anything, you should be fucking thank me." Her jaw clenched dangerously.

"That's not what this is about and you fucking know it!" He'd hit a soft spot.

"Oh, really? You sure you're not just yelling at me because you can't do your fucking job? Can't get the initiates in line, so I have to fucking resort to it? Is that what you're pissed about? Huh?" He shook her so hard, she would have fallen had he not still had a grasp on her forearms. "Can't do your fucking job, so you have to attack mine? My position, my authority? Careful, Teddy, I could demote you so far you'll never see the fucking light of day again." His face was dangerously close to hers and his voice was so low it rattled her bones. It was like looking down a gun barrel.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" The young woman found her voice again. "I was right, you become the big, bad, fearless leader and no one's worthy of your time anymore. Sorry I thought I could be honest with my friend." He squeezed her wrists even more and it brought out a gasp. He should have been pleased that he had the upper hand, but there was that tightening in his chest again. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" He growled, determined to prove that he had the upper hand. "You come in here like you're on a fucking mission, determined to undermine my authority like you fucking own me. My position outranks whatever friendship you think we have, Teddy." The way she kept swallowing made him think there was something caught in her throat. And maybe there was.

"Fuck you, Eric." Her voice was soft and it irritated Eric to find his chest tightening even further when she couldn't look him in the eye.

"You don't get to talk to me like that." He shook her again. "I am your superior. And I could chuck you out of this place. 'Cause I know that you don't really belong here, do you?" He was hitting below the belt now. "You think you're so fucking high and mighty aren't you? Still stuck in Erudite with your smart ass ways and your Candor ways of just having to say whatever comes into your fucking head. Maybe you should go hang out with the Factionless, since you can't seem to make up your fucking mind." The air was still and Eric knew he'd gone too far. He waited for her to shout back, to scream at him with words he knew he deserved and more. So when she took a choked breath in and spoke in the softest voice he'd ever heard, his heart sunk into the pit of his stomach.

"Maybe you're right." Teddy admitted, looking down. "Maybe I'm being pulled in three different directions." Then she met his cold stare. "But I chose _one_. I chose this faction, I chose Dauntless. I chose to be brave. And that's all that fucking matters." Eric swallowed hard at her words, trying to displace the twisting in his gut.

"Well, I know a lot of people who don't fucking appreciate your fucking attitude. And I'm one of them. Now, I've tolerated your ways for a long fucking time now but I've fucking had it, you hear me! Now, I don't wanna hear another fucking word about the way I run things." He finally shoved her away. He noticed her fingers caressing the end of her sleeve tattoo. The band that wasn't closed, the arrow. "Now, will that be all, Bell? Or do you have something else to say to me?" She swallowed hard and couldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, sir. It won't happen again." And there was that soft voice again that took Eric by surprise. To know that she was so loud and vocal and then to see her soft and quiet; a walking contradiction, it shook him to the core. And before Eric can say anything, she's out the door, letting it shut gently.

The following months aren't easy on either of them. They're in meetings together once a week to go over tactics and to discuss the initiates. And every time Teddy voices her opinion, Eric feels the need to disagree with her. At first, it took the other leaders and division frontmen by surprise. Eric was always the one to agree with her, understanding her logic before she could even explain her reasoning to the rest of the division. They were always a good team. But now, they were entirely out of sync and it was taking a toll on the entire faction. And now, whenever Teddy speaks up at the meetings, everyone tenses up, whether they realize it or not, waiting for Eric to derail her until she's back to the drawing board. It makes training difficult for the instructors and the meetings even worse.

Eric's demeanor was even worse than before, taking his anger out on the initiates more than usual and even snapping at fellow leaders and other members of the faction. Max tried to understand it all, that Eric was smarter than almost anyone out of the entire faction and he was strong and had a low tolerance for those he considered idiots, often becoming bored with people who couldn't quite follow his train of thought. And that boredom made him downright dangerous. But Max had seen Eric alongside Teddy since the beginning. They were mentally and emotionally compatible, when one of them moved, the other moved with. It's what made them such a good team. So he couldn't understand what had caused them to act this way.

Everyone was used to Eric calling someone out on their ignorance or their lack of proper planning or bad techniques given during meetings, but everyone was also used to him sticking up for Teddy even when she wasn't around, or her sticking up for herself and voicing her opinions when someone tried to call her out. She made a good division leader due to her ability to not take things personally, to back her opinions with good research and to call others out on their arrogance just like her best friend. So everyone who had once seen that aspect of their relationship was flabbergasted by the complete 180 the individuals seemed to take.

"I would have thought, judging by your haggard appearance, that you must have stayed up all night working on this presentation." Eric commented one afternoon. "But you must have been neglecting your duties in favour of something else to give us such a shitty presentation on the new combat training." There was a tick in her jaw as everyone hesitantly turned to look at Eric, his expression practically daring her to retaliate.

"I apologize for it not being up to your usual standards. Hopefully it'll be better by the next meeting." Well, no one expected such soft, tame words. But that was only the start of it. It seemed to go on for months. Everyone tensed up when they walked into a room. Whenever they ate in public, people stared in anticipation. The initiates cowered in fear when their instructors screamed at everyone but each other and even when they were apart, the people around them were waiting for something to happen. Eric took his anger out in the gym while Teddy opted for drinking nearly every night.

"Coulter!" Max had been pissed at him lately, and he had no idea why.

"What?" He grumbled out.

"I need you to get some signatures from Teddy." He typed away on his tablet, sending him some documents, and Eric could hear the pings from his own tablet of the notifications upon receiving them. Before Eric could growl out his refusal, Max held up his hand. "Don't argue with me on this one. I don't want any trouble, but everyone else is tied up for the day. You need her signatures and then you need to notarize them. And then she's going to give you some documents that I need and I don't want them sent electronically." Eric lifted his pierced brow. "She called out today, so you should find her in her apartment."

"Oh, she called out, did she? Fucking figures."

"Watch your fucking tone, Coulter." Max growled, catching Eric by surprise. Max had never spoken to him like that, not even as an initiate. "Teddy's been running herself ragged these past few weeks, training the TAC force and covering shifts at the Wall because of the bad weather." It was well known that Dauntless and Amity both were having a rough winter, with record-low temperatures and bad storms coming in from the north. The Factionless weren't a problem, as they stayed in during these months, but those assigned to the Wall were getting sick from being outdoors and Amity was having a hard time with their winter harvest. Eric hated winter. It got unbearably cold inside the compound, which was why he tried to stay inside his apartment unless absolutely necessary. "Tori and I gave her the weekend off to catch up on some sleep, but I need these documents today. So while I'm gone, I need you to get this done." Eric's jaw clenched.

"And if I refuse?" Max's eyes narrowed.

"Well, then you can take my place with Four at the Abnegation council meeting." The younger man huffed at the head leader's smirk and headed down the familiar path toward Teddy's apartment, leaving Max smirking behind him. His knuckles rapped three times on Teddy's door and he waited, his patience waning with each second she didn't answer. He pounded a few times on her door and there was still no answer. He tried barging in, only to be surprised by finding the door locked. Odd, she'd never bothered to lock it before.

"Bell, answer the door!" He pounded a few more times. "Bell, answer the fucking door! I need your signature!"

"You could have just asked nicely." Eric whirled around at the croaky voice to find the small woman peering at him with what would be classified as boredom. But Eric knew better, what others saw as disinterest, he saw as composure. She didn't want him to see right through her. Her voice was croaky and she looked exhausted. Her skin was dangerously pale, with no color gracing her cheeks save for a splash of pink on her nose. Her green eyes looked sunken in, with bags emphasizing her exhaustion. She was bundled up in a thick black jacket and it was only after she invited him into her apartment and shrugged out of the coat did he see how tiny she looked. There's that familiar tightening in his chest that hadn't been felt in what seemed like years, but knew was only mere months. He hated himself for wanting to take care of her.

The red had faded from her hair, leaving it all a deep brown, falling to her waist in loose curls and she'd gotten a new tattoo along the tricep of her right arm. It was a long flower that started at her elbow and ended just under her shoulder, the petals spreading along the pale skin. There are a few more piercings in her ear and they sparkled in the white winter sunlight that littered her apartment.

"Max needs your signature." Eric pulled up the documents that had been sent to him.

"And he needs the other papers." The young man nodded once and she left the room to retrieve them. She hands them to him and gets to work on signing the documents she needs to.

"Where were you? Max told me you had the day off." He tries not to appear to interested, merely inconvenienced at having to wait.

"Infirmary."

"What? Can't handle a cold?" Teddy spares him a glance before going back to reading through the documents.

"Outstanding appointment." She allows. "Birth control." He lifts a brow.

"Ongoing research?" He can't help the question and he mentally kicks himself. He's surprised when she smirks.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The croak in her voice is teasing and it appears she realizes it too late as she looks back down to complete her task. "Uh, no, actually. I scrapped that project." She tries clearing her throat and it ends in a cough that sounds painful. "Wasn't necessary."

"Now you sleep around for the fun of it." She tries not to flinch, but Eric sees it right away and he regrets the tone he took. He didn't mean for it to come out that way.

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" He doesn't answer.

"Are you having fun?" He finally asks. And then it's her turn to be silent.

"I wasn't ever having fun," she admits. "Not really. It was all rather...boring." She clears her throat. "I kept thinking there was some equation, some formula, a precise-." The young woman breaks off as she realizes she's talking too much, giving herself away, as if she's excited to be talking to someone about something other than training or work. "Never mind. Doesn't matter."

"It matters to you." She shrugs and then it's silent, uncomfortably so on Eric's part. And then she hands him back the tablet and he notices the arrow around her wrist is closed.

"You finished it." He gestures to the tattoo. Her right hand goes around it and twists gently as she nods. "What got you to do it?"

"I got rid of the bow." And somehow, the metaphor makes sense to him.


	10. Chapter 10

_The air seems to relax around them on a Tuesday afternoon_

They're helping Four with the new initiates. Teddy usually comes in about once a week to go over tactic devices with Four to cover with the young transfers and Eric likes to delve into his sadistic nature when it comes to the initiates. And on this particular day, everyone has a bullet-proof vest after target practice. Four's switched the guns out with bullet simulators and Teddy's about to go over the ground rules for a tamer version of War Games. It's supposed to be just a game and to get the initiates to work together as a team so that Teddy can observe their logic and interpersonal skills, she's keeping track of people to watch out for when she's ready to begin recruiting again.

"All right, my name's Teddy." She tells the small crowd.

"What's your last name? Bear?" The boy is from Candor, all the mouthy ones are.

"It's 'Bitch', actually." She bites back, her glare taking the boy by surprise. "And that's exactly what you're gonna get from me if you don't act your fucking age."

"Well, I'm legal now, sweetcheeks, care to show me if the Bitch bites?" This boy was from Erudite. And Teddy's face remained completely neutral as she easily shot a dart into the boy's pelvis. He let out a loud yell, curling into himself and falling to the ground. The other initiates look on in both horror and awe. Teddy allowed herself a smirk.

"Yes, the Bitch bites. Hard." She then began explaining the rules and what was expected of them, leaving out the results she was looking for. And with that, the initiates are off. Four, Eric and Teddy are really here to observe, trying to leave the initiates to their own devices, hoping it won't backfire on them.

"So, what exactly is this supposed to prove?" The boy from Candor is back.

"That you're valuable to the faction. Which you're proving right now that you're not. Head back to your team." He was taller than her and he was peering down his nose at her in a admonishing manner.

"So you've proven useful to Dauntless? By what? Spreading your legs? Or are we supposed to adopt the bitchy attitude?" He leered at her. "Cause I have to admit, it's kind of turning me on. C'mon, let's get outta here, I'm bored of this shit." Eric chose that time to join her side. He hadn't heard much of what the initiate had said, but he'd seen the way he looked at her and he could feel his nostrils flare with distaste. Not simply because a male was looking at her, but, judging by his stance, Eric knew he was disrespecting her. So he sauntered over, peering down at the Candor initiate with a nasty expression before he looked over at Teddy, and one glance from her told him everything he cared to know. He arched a pierced brow questioningly and she gave a short nod.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, initiate?" His cold tone got the boy's eyes wide as Eric got up close. "Why aren't you out with your team?" The boy could only stutter before Eric kept speaking. "You think this is this boring? Is this exercise not good enough for you?" And then he turned to everyone else who had stopped to pay attention. "Teddy here is the TAC force leader! She comes up with the tactical planning for the special forces of Dauntless. Do you think they gave her that title for shits and giggles?" The initiates shook their heads quickly. "She fucking earned that position, initiates, because she's good with logistics and even better with a gun, if you hadn't noticed! So if I ever fucking hear any one of you attempt to discredit her again, you can join the Factionless if this is too fucking boring. Or maybe I'll make your fall down the Chasm look like an accident." The air was still and everyone was staring at them, unknowing of what to say. Even Four seemed slightly shocked at Eric's words. "Now, get back to your teams." And with that, Eric turned back around to stand next to Teddy in matching stances as the exercise resumed, the air around them buzzing, despite not speaking.


	11. Chapter 11

_There's a leadership dinner on a Sunday evening_

Both he and Teddy hate these things. It's a formality, really, supposedly an event for all the leaders of the factions to get together and get to know one another in an unrestricted gathering, but really it's just a chance for everyone to show off and talk about their own work in ways that it doesn't affect the faction. But the food is better than normal and the bar is free, so no one really minds too much. It's also supposed to be a formal event, which makes it even worse for Eric. He hates dressing up, it reminds him of his time in Erudite when his parents pushed him to be the epitome of perfection. Plus, the dinner jackets never really fit.

But tonight is different. This is Teddy's first time here since she's been promoted and she's tried to make a good impression. Her hair has been loosely curled and teased for volume and it falls down her back tauntingly; she's even worn makeup. And Eric has seen her in those heeled boots before. She wears them during her free time, in the Pit, or just meandering around Dauntless. But it makes his breath catch to see those boots with that dress.

It's a lacy number with an intricate pattern, cinching at her small waist and has a plunging neckline that everyone is pointedly trying to ignore. There's a slip underneath to cover her until mid-thigh and then it's lace til her ankles. And with the way Teddy's rouge lips are smiling at everyone, Eric can't tell if she's had this in the back of her closet waiting to make an appearance, or if she bought it for the occasion. Either way, he's never seen his best friend this dolled up and it takes him a second longer than usual to reply to anything directed his way.

They sit next to each other once dinner is served. Max is already drunk, so he's muttering nonsense to anyone who will listen while the leaders of Abnegation can't get a word in as they eat as little as possible. Teddy's got Jack Kang's attention and Eric tries to shake away his thoughts as his eyesight is directed at Teddy's full mouth. His pants seem tighter this year and he can't wait to take them off and relieve himself of the stuffy atmosphere. But then Teddy's hand is on his thigh and she's leaning toward him and he's trying not to stare at her cleavage.

"How about when this is done, we head to the Pit and have a real party?" Her voice is husky from the wine and Eric tries to control the gooseflesh her breath gives him.

"May have to change." He fumbles around, causing her to lift a brow, thinking he's talking about her.

"I like this dress." She fiddles with the material.

"I-I do too-I meant, uh, I meant me. I-I may have to change." Then she's smiling at him and he can't help but swallow hard.

"I think you look nice like that." And with that, she focuses a question toward Johanna of Amity, but she sends him a cheeky grin that shows she doesn't really give a shit about any of this.

Two hours later has them escaping with stolen bottles of wine. They're both pretty buzzed as they head down to the Pit, chugging away from the bottles and giggling at something Jeanine Matthews had said before everyone quickly dispersed. The exact words couldn't be recalled, but it was something robotic and poshly rehearsed.

"Sh!" Teddy gasps and pulls Eric into a small cove in the wall. A few younger people are passing by, giggling furiously. She looks out to see if the coast is clear before looking back at him with a lazy smile. His torso is pressed up against hers and his arms are raised up by her head, blocking her face from view. He looks down at her before coming to his senses.

"Wait, why are we hiding?" She shrugs then chugs from the bottle.

"Seemed like the sensible thing to do." And then she's off again, grabbing her friend by the hand and leading him to the Pit, where they finish their bottles of wine and head straight for the bar. They take one shot each before Teddy heads to the dance floor, music blaring as she sways to the beat. Eric stays put in the bar stool, ordering a large beer that he finds he's gulping quickly as his eyes refuse to leave Teddy's form.

"Hoo-hoo! Somebody's got it bad!" Everyone knew Mack, the bartender. And he knew everyone's business.

"Fuck off, Mack." Eric grumbled into his drink. The young man only snickered.

"You gonna join her?"

"No!" He hated dancing. It was the one thing he couldn't do, he ended up just shuffling around like an idiot.

"All right, man, just don't be too pissed when someone else whisks her away." He clenched his jaw and glowered at the bartender until he chortled and headed in another direction, allowing Eric to refocus on Teddy. Her back was toward him and her hips were swaying dangerously. He swallowed heavily before downing his drink and ordering another round of shots as she wormed her way through the crowd back to him. They downed their drinks and before Eric realized what was happening, Teddy was pulling him to the dance floor.

"I'm not dancing!" He roared above the noise.

"Then you can just watch me!" She responded.

"That's what I've been doing!"

"Oh, have you, now?" She gazed up at him through thick lashes and his breath caught again, not realizing beforehand the implications of his words. But before either of them could say anything else, someone whisked Teddy away and she allowed them, with a smile on her face, her hand held out for Eric to join, but all he could do was walk back to the bar, Mack shaking his head. He ordered another drink and watched as Teddy weaved throughout the crowd with random individuals.

Over the next few songs, he lost sight of her several times until the small woman couldn't be seen at all. He finished the drink and maneuvered himself throughout the dancing throng of people, being twisted this way and that by the movement of the dancers. The lights flashed over everyone's face and it didn't help that everyone was wearing black, making Teddy much more difficult to spot. Everyone was twirling, gyrating and stomping their feet to the rhythm and Eric felt utterly lost, buzzed just enough to forget which way was which until he bumped into someone.

"There you are." He breathed, the lights illuminating her skin beautifully. She smiled up at him before a few people weaved between them, making her laugh as she got further away from him. He cursed, holding out his hand to reach for her and was surprised when she caught it with her own. He pulled her back toward him and swallowed hard.

"Are you done?" She teased. He nodded once in his traditional gruff manner and she began to walk back toward the entryway, still holding his hand. She leads him to her apartment and she turns on some low-key music, swaying her body as she pours two more glasses of wine. He watches her carefully, sees her shoulders slightly hunched as her eyes dart to him every now and then. She's aware she's being watched and she's trying to make sense of it.

"Stop being so sensical." He admonishes her, her expressions betraying her thoughts.

"It's my job to be." She reminds him. It's quiet between them and a tension fills the room. It's been tense between them ever since...and Eric doesn't think it will ever go back to the way it was before. He notes as she swallows hard before going to light a candle.

"Miss Bell, are you trying to seduce me?" He's trying to be funny and it works, she gives him a soft chuckle.

"Is it working?" She teased, making him smirk.

"Careful, sweetheart, don't start something you can't finish." There's just a moment's hesitation and Eric can see the brief debate going on in his friend's mind of how to react. Is she going to laugh it off? Bumble about nervously? Or be brave? Eric only hopes for the latter.

"Well, now, sweetheart," she emphasizes with a mischievous glint in her eyes, leaning in closely, hands on his knees as she pushes them apart. "I think the real question is, are you gonna help me finish this?" She bites her bottom lip tantalizingly and his mouth runs dry and his neck feels very hot all of a sudden. He feels the tick in his jaw as her hands begin to slide up his legs, her green eyes never leaving his. Her pupils are dilated and he wants to blame the alcohol, but they haven't had enough to render themselves completely drunk. He stops her movement by securing her jaw between one of his hands.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" There's another flash of hesitancy between them before his lips crash down on hers. He's aware of every one of her movements, the way her small hands clench around his thighs and her head pulling back in his hand and the way her mouth feels on his. There's a debate going on in their minds, wondering if they should continue, but she's not saying anything and he's trying to blame this all on lust, on the fact that her chest is heaving against his and her skin is soft and her mouth is warm and wet and he wants to hear her call out his name. But he'd be lying if he said he hasn't wanted this for years.

Soon enough, she's tugging on his lower lip with her teeth and it shocks him into opening his mouth wider, a groan escaping his throat as their tongues meet and his hands get caught in her curls. He's surprised that he's still sitting on the bar stool, with her standing in between his legs and her hands now secured around his waist. He can feel her nails through her clutch of the fabric of his shirt and he's eager to get rid of it, he hates it anyway. He begins unbuttoning it and is shocked even further when Teddy pulls away at the buttons and pushes it off his shoulders. He'd never seen this type of aggression in his best friend. He figured that she's so small and sweet and fun that he'd have to go slow and be gentle with her.

So he throws caution to the wind as he pulls her back to him, growling as his mouth meets the soft skin of her neck, biting hard before sucking and licking at a particularly tender spot. Her soft gasp sends shocks down his spine and her hands are clawing at his scalp. Then she pulls him back to her mouth as her hands trail lower, ghosting along his abdomen, and his skin is one fire. then her eyes meet his again as she fiddles with his belt buckle, with his pierced brow cocked, daring her to unloop it. When she begins pulling it through the loops, Eric figures he shouldn't be surprised, but he's almost proud of her bravery.

"I don't think you're ready for that, sweetheart." His voice is husky and he's rewarded with a shiver on her part as he clutches her hands close to him. She looks at him questioningly and he smirks. "You're wearing far too much." Her smirk now matches his.

"Then do something about it." She dares as she walks backward, taking the rest of his belt with her. He follows her slowly, matching step for step until his hand is on the belt and he's pulling her back to him, twisting her so her back to to him as he tosses the belt away. Neither of them focus on the clang it makes when it lands, focusing solely on the fact that Eric's mouth is at her neck again, one hand keeping her close at the waist and the other fisted into her curls, pulling enough to reveal her sensitive skin. Another bite followed immediately by sucking earns him another gasp and he can feel her stomach tightening with each nibble until his teeth yank her earlobe. She cries out and yanks on his hair to pull him forward into a searing kiss. "Is this you doing something about it?" Her voice is breathless and there's that familiar tightening in his chest. "Because I'm still fully clothed." With another growl, he twists her so she's flat against the wall, her back flush with his chest before he slowly kneels down. Her shoes had been thrown off upon arrival so it's just the dress he has to worry about now.

Slowly, he puts his hands at her ankles and works his way up. Her legs are smooth and the skin is soft as his hands reach the back of her knees and her lower thighs and then the hem of her dress is bunched up at her waist and he's kissing the tender skin on her inner thighs. His hands cup her full ass that's barely covered by another piece of black lace and he's acutely aware that her legs are quivering and he's not entirely sure if she's breathing. A firm bite on her ass earns him another groan before his fingers are just barely grazing the fabric pressed against her center. And then he hears the soft whine coming from her throat. It's enough to get him to grin as he leans in, forehead against her thighs as he breathes in her aroma, placing more kisses and bites along her thighs.

"Eric," she groans, her hands reaching around to grab his hair. "Don't start what you can't fucking finish." He chuckles and hears it reverberate through her body. "Don't fucking tease." But he likes teasing her, always has, and even moreso now. He makes note of her bouncing toes and finds her eagerness stimulating. So he slowly pulls down her underwear and spreads her legs just a bit further and allows himself one lick from the front to the back of her slick folds. She whimpers and her legs are getting weak. "Fuck." She tries to hold herself up against the wall. "Eric, please."

"What's this? Teddy has manners?" He can't help but tease her, but her words have a greater impact on him than he lets on. His pants are incredibly uncomfortable now and all he wants to do is throw her onto the bed and fuck her senseless. But this is different, he wants to make this last all night. So he obliges her manners and his mouth is right back where she wants it, tongue moving against her throbbing clit and she's got one hand in his hair and one on the wall and the gasps and mewls erupting from her throat make trying to control his erection more difficult. And when she turns back to look at him through glazed eyes, she's positive he's touching himself and without warning, she's coming.

Her legs buckle and Eric has to hold on tightly to keep her from falling. She's panting with both hands on the wall for stability as Eric cleans her up before leaning against her thighs, trying to work out his jaw. And then she's looking at him with a predatory gaze, as though it's her turn to play. All he can do is smirk as he stands, kicking her panties out of the way as he backs her up against the wall she was previously facing.

"I'm not done with you yet, sweetheart." She swallows hard and then he's lifting her dress over her head and he's never been more happy than to see a lack of a bra. Teddy's nipples are pierced and he can't help himself as he pins her arms to her side and his mouth meets her left piercing. He wastes no time in tugging and biting at the piercing, each movement sending a shiver right to her core. Her entire body is on fire and she's sure she's never been this stimulated. "You're so fucking short." He mutters, lifting her up, his hands on the back of her thighs and she immediately locks her ankles around his waist.

"You're just too fucking tall." She gasps out when his teeth pull on her piercing again.

"You love it." He grinned when he felt her mouth latch onto his own neck. She matched his bites with her own, running her nails up and down his back until he's sucking on one nipple and pinching at the other. She hums in delight, throwing her head back against the wall. The thunk echoes with her groan. "Careful, sweetheart." Eric growls out as he fists her hair again, pulling back so her throat is fully exposed. He can practically taste how hard she swallows as he leaves yet another mark on her fair skin. He can feel her getting hot again and he nearly loses it when she rolls her hips against him. When she does it again, it's all he can do to hold still and lean his forehead on her shoulder.

Her hands are in his hair again, pulling as she nibbles on his gauges until her mouth meets his again. Their chests are flush against each other and Eric can't help the groan he releases when Teddy bites down and pulls hard on his lower lip. When she finally lets go, they're both panting, foreheads pressing against each other. He surprises them both by kissing her again. It's a firm kiss, but it's softer than the others and she responds in kind, pressing soft kisses along his jawline until their faces are buried in each other's necks. Eric's almost about to let her down when she rolls her hips against his once more and with a growl, he bites down into her collarbone and they're moving to the bedroom.

They fall onto the bed and Eric hovers over his best friend and she works to get his pants off. When she takes a hold of him and slowly begins to pump, he growls into her neck. It's almost too much and his arms shake on either side of Teddy. But he quickly controls himself as he goes back to sucking on her breast, one hand trailing down her taut stomach, shivering at his touch and he's glad to see that he has this affect on her. But not as glad as to feel how wet she still is. He moves his hand back up, pressing the tips of his pointer and middle finger against her soft lips until she opens her mouth and she's sucking on them. The sights gets him even harder as her thumb is teasing his weeping tip.

Then his fingers are back to her entrance, massaging her, leaving her whining as she claws at his scalp. And then one finger slips in and she gasps, twisting her hips in pleasure at the intrusion. But he pulls her back, his arm resting over her pelvis as another finger enters her. She's clawing at the sheets now, a hazy look in her eyes and Eric finds it deliciously sinful, the way she looks. And when he presses down on her pelvis just so, she damn near starts speaking another language. She's choking on her breath and Eric can't help but grin.

"You like that, sweetheart?"

"Fuck." She pulls at her breast until he's up to her level again, kissing her, swallowing her whines as his fingers leave her, going back to her mouth, which she sucks obediently.

"Look at you, dirty little girl." He teases. She bites his fingers in response and all he can do is laugh as his knee spreads her legs even further. He looks over at her bedside table, wondering if he'll find any condoms there.

"I'm clean, I'm clean." Her legs wrap around his waist to pull him inside. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm clean." He leans forward even further, his hands pushing her legs up as he slowly entered her, giving her time to acclimate to his size. It didn't take long, she was thoroughly aroused and had probably been ready for him since he first touched her.

"Fuck, Eric." She arches her back into him and her hands fly back to hold on to the headboard. He has one hand to balance him over her quivering frame and the other is trailing up her torso, fingers grazing her nipples before closing in on her neck. He's careful not to close her airway, just enough pressure on the sides to give her what she wants.

"Fuck, Teddy." He growls out. With each thrust, her walls clench around him and he doesn't know how much longer he's going to last. "Fuck, you feel so good." His hand removes from its place on her throat and is wound back in her hair, pulling her into a searing kiss. And then one of her knees is on his shoulder and he can feel that he's hitting her in the right spot. Her eyes are wide, her lips parted and her hands are now gripping tightly to his hips, holding him close as she matches him thrust for thrust, moans erupting from her throat unabashedly that send shivers down his spine. "Dammit, Teddy, I'm not gonna-I can't-."

"I know." She groans out. "Just a little...I'm almost-." He leans back down, keeping her in that position as he kisses her fiercely. Just another thrust from him and she comes undone, silencing her scream by biting into his neck. Her nails dig deep into his back and he slows his thrusts to let her ride out her orgasm. And then he's seeing stars and groaning into Teddy's shoulders until the waves had passed. Teddy whines when he pulls out and it takes a while for them both to catch their breath. Eric's still half on top of Teddy, both covered in sweat, reveling in the afterglow. She's playing with his hair while he fiddles with the bar in her left nipple and he relishes the pink flush running up her chest and neck. The air smells of sex and Eric can't think of a better way to end such a dull night.

"So, uh, your research…" Eric mumbles into her shoulder. He sends her a cheeky grin and she starts laughing.

"I shouldn't say anything." She tells him. "Your ego doesn't need it." He snorts. "But I wouldn't have needed to do research if I'd gotten this on the first try." Then he's laughing.

"So, wait, you had to have had-."

"Well, yeah, thank God." She interrupts. "But Jesus, not like this." She lets out a heavy sigh. "You know, you were right." He lifts his pierced brow. "None of those boys knew how to please me." He stares at her for a long moment before kissing her.

"They don't know you like I do, sweetheart." She laughs before sitting up, stretching out her stiff muscles. She can feel her legs shake with each step and she's completely aware that Eric notices. In the living room, she finds her panties and tugs them back on, and smirking as she throws Eric's ruined shirt over her shoulders. She then heads back to her room to find Eric completely at ease on her bed, hands behind his head and ankles crossed. She takes a few moments to appreciate his form.

His hair is totally disheveled thanks to her grabby hands and there's a certain glow across his soft features that she's sure she's never seen before. His blue eyes are shining brightly as he stares at her, lips quirked into an almost-smile. His shoulders are broad and she appreciates how strong he is, able to protect their city; protect her. And to completely dominate her in bed. Her eyes fall down his chiseled torso and she can't believe he wasn't sculpted by the Gods, but that was all his hard work since before coming to Dauntless. Subconsciously, she licks her lips at the sight of his v-line delving toward his semi-hard cock. She can remember watching him touch himself earlier and she's worried about becoming wet again. His legs are long and strong, covered in soft hair that she wants to tangle her own limbs with.

"Like what you see, sweetheart?" She sends him a soft smirk.

"And if I do?" He shrugs and sits up.

"Then maybe I should come around more often. and you should wear more of my clothes." He pulls his boxers back on and they head to the balcony, each lighting a cigarette as they sit on the edge of the roof, watching the sunrise, signaling a Sunday morning.


End file.
